printing a shadow effect

[OhNoPrinting]

Hey.

Maybe it is really clear and I just dont get it, but I am stuck how to print this effect:



In comic illustration you got often have a shadow effect to give depth. (like on the bun) In illustrator I just overlay with transparency but when i try to think how to make screens, do i use an extra color each time or do i somehow "create" the other color (I tried it manually with the dots)

And how is the process of "creating" the extra color: do i just take the bun (2 colors) and let photoshop create halftones and then the size of the halftones create the color effect?

I hope this makes sense at all..

[rusty]

simplest way to do it is use a black halftone overlay unless you want the shadows solid like that.

But you can just print all the base colors and use one black screen over the shadow areas. Depending on how you are outputting film you can also control  the halftones to be larger or smaller depending on what you want.

look up simulated process screen printing and dive in.

[OhNoPrinting]

I understand the basic idea, but I just don´t get the way..

I would print all the base-colors: how do I get the screen with the black halftone? (I mean I could select the areas and then its just trial-and-error how much shading I get?)

[rusty]

(I mean I could select the areas and then its just trial-and-error how much shading I get?)

thats it.

Welcome to screen printing. Its a lot of trial and error.

You will have to experiment with different shades to get the results YOU want.

10% of gray will be different than 25% etc and then you factor in what type of LPI you are printing.

[OhNoPrinting]

thanks.. I really just started screen printing because I was tired from just sitting in front of the screen.. its shocking how much I still have to actually learn even so doing graphic design for years :-)

so with cmyk separations i came a little closer what I want to archive, but I guess I will need to experiment further, because I want that "solid-color"-look.

[3Deep]

To get that solid color look your going to need a different shade of ink of the color your using, which if you do the all the art like that your looking at about 10 colors (10 screens) a press that will handle 10 colors plus.  With that being said that's why a lot of us use halftones to blend and make shades of colors so we don't have so many screens for that job.

[screenxpress]

To get that solid color look your going to need a different shade of ink of the color your using, which if you do the all the art like that your looking at about 10 colors (10 screens) a press that will handle 10 colors plus.  With that being said that's why a lot of us use halftones to blend and make shades of colors so we don't have so many screens for that job.

Go big or go halftones, lol.  Whatever makes the customer (and your checkbook) happy.

[blue moon]

Hey.

Maybe it is really clear and I just dont get it, but I am stuck how to print this effect:



In comic illustration you got often have a shadow effect to give depth. (like on the bun) In illustrator I just overlay with transparency but when i try to think how to make screens, do i use an extra color each time or do i somehow "create" the other color (I tried it manually with the dots)

And how is the process of "creating" the extra color: do i just take the bun (2 colors) and let photoshop create halftones and then the size of the halftones create the color effect?

I hope this makes sense at all..

on the bun... you could print the light ten/yellow in the bright spots and print the darker brown on the darker part. Area in the middle you could print with both yellow and brown (wet on wet so it blends better). That will give you a color in between just like you need and it would not have any halftones.
the ink deposit will have to be thin or it will smear when you print the top color. Imagine closing the waffle iron, all the excess just overflows. Same would happen with ink, you'd lose all the crisp lines.
but yes, doable without halftones.
pierre

[screenxpress]

Without halftones, I think I count 8 colors.  Did I miscount?

[OhNoPrinting]

Found a screenprinting video which illustrates the effect of overprinting:

 

Color order: black -> white -> yellowish -> green.. and the green goes over the white and it creates two shades of "solid" green.

I really admire how simple equipment in screen printing can still bring great results.

Here the video: (relevant time from 13.10)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThkGz69skvU

[screenxpress]

Interesting.  Necessity is the mother of invention and it's probably all he can afford, but he seems to be getting very low output.

The way he's setup, he could get a lot more out if he changed his setup to something like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCqDqX4QrU8

or this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXe8crLeYd0

[cbjamel]

Thats underbasing not over printing to me. Over print is say lt grey overprint with black halftone for darker shade.
But thats me.

[zanegun08]

I would do this as a 6 color on white, or 7 on dark with all spot colors, so no halftone shading.  It wouldn't be the exact same, but would be all solid colors since I would use a transparent black to do the shading of each lighter color, so the shading color may have a little bit different result than on the computer.

I would print like this on a white

1 - Light Tan (light part of burger bun)
2 - Mid Tan (mid part of burger bun)
3 - Light Pink (hot dog)
4 - Yellow (light part of hot dog)
5 - Brown (dark outlines)
6 - Transparent Black overprinting in the correct areas to make all the dark shading.

This would make the mid tan have the shading on the bun, the shading on the mustard color, shading on the hot dog, and seeds of the bun.

If going on dark you could add a base for 7 colors.

Using transparent colors you can do both highlight colors of a base color by printing a transparent white, or shading of a color by printing transparent black.  With plastisol you get a bit of a shiny effect since it is mostly extender base but you can add a matte additive to cut that.

It's a special use case for this style of image but would work excellent for this style of design, and then you don't end up with halftones and solid colors which I don't really like that much, it will visually be all spot colors which I prefer but would rather print 6 colors than 10 for a very similar result, and you would only need to mix 5 colors and a transparent instead of 10.

[Dottonedan]

Go big or go halftones, lol.

I’m going to have to use the as my catch phrase!